My dd came over to me while painting and asked which colors make purple. I had to google it.

I could not for the life of me remember. This comes after my husband was reading an email I was sending out and pointing out that I had spelled "couch" wrong, 4 times in my email. I'm a smart person, but it's days like this that make me question my homeschooling qualifications! ;)

I have so many of those moments it's not even funny! We Google a lot of stuff, even if I know it, because the kids love to look at images (if applicable) and usually I end up learning stuff as well. That's one of the things I love aobut homeschooling-the kids are not the only ones getting an education. :)

Ummm... it may surprise you to know that many school teachers are learning the lessons they teach right before they teach them. True story. I was a public school teacher. Countless other teachers (including those teaching us teachers in the Master's program) let me know that it's "just the way it is--you can't remember EVERYthing".

So the way I figure it, mine are really not getting any worse of a teacher than they'd have if they were in school. :)

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Uhm. I used to teach public school. In the first few years teaching uhh..... I was often only a couple of chapters ahead of the kids in the books. It's ok to not know everything. :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by heatherdeg

Ummm... it may surprise you to know that many school teachers are learning the lessons they teach right before they teach them. True story. I was a public school teacher. Countless other teachers (including those teaching us teachers in the Master's program) let me know that it's "just the way it is--you can't remember EVERYthing".

So the way I figure it, mine are really not getting any worse of a teacher than they'd have if they were in school. :)

My advice may not be appropriate for you. That's ok. You are just fine how you are and I am the right kind of me.

We're sitting at a local café in our small town where everyone knows everyone, and ds14 asks me some question about the Mongols. I have no idea what the answer is. I have no Google. No reference books. No way out but to admit that I have no clue.

"Don't ask me stuff like this in public," I hiss in a stage whisper. "At home I can quick look it up, or I can shoot you a line and no one will be the wiser. But here [looking furtively about me] all these people are going to realize what a flimsy parental foundation your homeschooling rests on."

Um, let's put it this way: my 9 y.o. does not even bother to ask me anymore. She looks up everything herself now! I always ask HER things before I bother to look them up . . .usually she can give me some info to get me started. I have never been shy about telling her, "I don't know." The curtain was pulled off long ago. I am really good at coming up with more questions, though . . .that is my contribution.

It is sort of exciting this way. We are learning together. However, it is a nice break for her when she can ask my DH questions and he can blah, blah, blah-- actually answer her. She enjoys that as well.

On a challenge problem in my daughter's Intermediate Algebra book, I had her look at the solutions manual and then teach me how to do it. LOL If you can teach it, you know it. So why not let her teach a bit?

That is why I love Usborne books, google and many reference books- the kids can either find it themselves or I can help them. We aren't mean't to do this alone, we use other adults as a resource as well.

I'm a teacher and I've definitely done the learning just before the kids thing (AP Lit!). But here's the thing: I may be good at teaching but I'm great at learning, and that is what I can best model and facilitate for DD. I love finding a great book. TG the one time she really stumped me, suddenly asking about earth and space stuff, we were already driving to the library with the awesome jr nonfiction section lol